UK Conservatives Pledge to Ban Foreign Nationals from Social Housing

The Conservative Party has pledged to ban foreign nationals from social housing in England if it wins the next general election, a policy it says would free up approximately 228,144 homes for British families.

The Policy Details

Under the Tory proposals, new social housing tenancies for all foreign nationals would be ended. Additionally, current tenancies for couples where neither person holds UK, Irish or EU citizenship would also be terminated, with those affected given six months to find alternative accommodation. Single people currently in social housing who are not UK, Irish or EU citizens would also lose their entitlement, including those with or without children. Those with EU settled status would not be evicted. For future tenancies, only UK nationals and those with EU settled status would be eligible.

Political Context

The Conservatives said Labour had lost control of immigration, leaving British families languishing on housing waiting lists. There are currently 1.34 million households on social housing waiting lists, as of March 2025. In 2024-25, 89% of new social lettings went to UK nationals. Labour dismissed the proposal as an unserious, unworkable proposal, copied from Reform, that does nothing to tackle the housing crisis the Tories themselves created. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had earlier proposed a similar policy giving foreign national tenants three months to find private accommodation or face possible deportation.